In the UK we don't have to go to the office, we can go to any post office and just get a cheque there and then and deposit it that day. Also I think they can give you up to 500 Pounds in cash too. No taxes in the UK. Never had to go there tho due to only playing Euro and no scratchers.

Gratz! Nice hit. I've never been to a lottery office can you come back after you go and tell us what it was like?

Well, my trip to the Lottery Headquarters is an interesting story, but long.

So the short story for tl;dr people: it was a bit depressing, actually.

The long story with interesting details:

I know that my vision of balloons everywhere - outside on a sign, indoors with fake large checks... I mean, I always see balloons/balloon rainbows in the ads, behind the winners, and in interviews - was an probably an exaggeration of the way things would look, but the truth was worse!

Besides the fact the building was boring and next to some manufacturing plants, I parked and saw an awning "Claims". Not very exciting, kinda 'pawn shop-ish'. Hmm.

First impression walking in: first thing I see.... two people sleeping in chairs, a set of "stay in line" ropes in front of bullet-proof windows, and to my right - some cheap chairs that have seen better days next to an extremely dirty table. I actually wondered if some people in there were homeless. Totally awe-inspiring.

I discovered the table was dirty from scratch-offs. The pens to fill out the claim form were attached to the table. I had to clean an area in order to fill out the form without bumps.

However..... I think my impression was tainted by that couple sleeping in the chairs. It gave a depressing, homeless feel to the place. Had I not seen them immediately, my impression might have been slightly more favorable.

Yet, after a woman with a baby cut in front of me, the woman behind the bullet-proof glass was very nice, sweet, and helpful. She took my driver's license and ss card, along with the claim sheet and scratch-off ticket. She told me it would take 15 minutes to process the check.

Ah... so that's why that couple was sleeping in the chairs... they were waiting for their check! And as for the dirt...well, the office had a great racket going: while you wait for your money, you can buy MM, PB, or scratch-offs! And so many people did, spending the money they were waiting there for, rubbing off more tickets for dreams of winning the really big one.

When I got called back to the window, which was actually less than 15 minutes (bonus points for them!), I asked some questions and discovered some interesting things... BUT FIRST an incredible story: I went to the window and she handed me the back of a scratch-off and said "You forgot to sign the back." Well, I knew I had signed mine and I looked at the ticket and noticed it had a different name written in print. Being the wonderful, truthful person I am, I said, "Um, that's not my ticket. I thought you called my name." Well, a woman who was sitting in a chair vacated by a sleeping person jumped up and hurried to the window. Apparently, she had called both our names and had our stuff together. I stood by the next window while she finished up with the woman. What I thought was really interesting.... since you give your ID's when you arrive, you don't need to show it when you pick up your check. Literally, I could have signed for that woman and taken the check (which was probably 95% chance it was bigger than my check), and walked out the door. Granted, I would have been caught, probably jailed, blah, blah. The point was, I could have been anybody picking up the check since I didn't need to show proof. Now THAT was interesting.

So what I learned from the clerk: *This is for North Carolina!!*

1. You don't pay federal taxes unless your win is over $5,000.

2. If you win $600 or less, you don't even have to pay for state taxes. Even if you bring in 10 scratch-offs that won $600 each, for a total of $6,000, it doesn't matter. Once a single win is $601 - then you pay state taxes.

3. If you won over $100,000, you are taken to a different room.

4. She didn't know anything about LLC's, what they were, or if I could claim a big win using one. Again, that's only known by the people who work in the "big winners" room.

5. I did forget to ask if I could refuse getting my picture taken, since they weren't clamoring to take it anyway. In fact, I don't even know if "that room" even had a camera. I'm sure the "$100K+ winner" room did. Maybe those $5,000 winners I see on the website went to a different regional office. I'm just glad I didn't have to deal with that.

6. Note: the clerk was surprised I brought my ss card, giving me the impression I would have gotten the money anyway. It said it was needed on the website, but maybe it really isn't?

So my dreams/visions of balloons being everywhere.... I'll just continue dreaming they are in the "other" winning room at the headquarters... for now.

lol....your experience reminds me of the first time I hit a few hundred dollars on a slot machine in a casino. The thing was going berserk and I was looking around the room expecting a host to hawk me, but they just stood by the bar talking. Unless you really hit it big it's not going to be that big of a deal.

If the chances of winning the jackpot are so slim, why play when the jackpot is so small? Your chances never change, but the potential payoff does. If a crystal ball showed you the future of the rest of your life, and in that future you will never win a jackpot, would you still play?

WooHoo!!! I won just over $600, so I have to claim my prize at the lottery office this afternoon!

It's my first time there. Any advice? Any questions I should ask?

I'm hoping there is no photo as it is a small amount of money. And I think I can opt out of it, if they ask for one.

I'm also going to ask them questions about "what if I won PB" and get their advice, er, a bit "early".

And as great as this win is, it completely pays for the 4 new tires I need - and hopefully the car check-up I need too. I'm really happy I don't have to go into more debt to get my car fixed!

Congrats !! I've been a few times here in Texas. The local office is goid up to a mill then it's off to Austin. They gave all the firms you will need there with some instructions. Make sure you sign your slip ASAP before you even leave your home. Good luck and G-d bless

2.If you win $600 or less, you don't even have to pay for state taxes.

Even if you bring in 10 scratch-offs that won $600 each, for a total of $6,000,

it doesn't matter. Once a single win is $601 -then you pay state taxes.

Well that settles it for me!! I know it has been discussed before but now that you've posted

official lottery employee stated single wins are tax free I feel better. I often wonderd if you win

big with single tickets if you had to pay taxes or not.

You might want to check that at tax time each state may have different tax laws. And I am sure the federal government will want its share of the $600 perhaps they meant they don't automatically take out their share at the time you win if it is $600 or less. That doesn't mean you aren't responsible for the tax.

You might want to check that at tax time each state may have different tax laws. And I am sure the federal government will want its share of the $600 perhaps they meant they don't automatically take out their share at the time you win if it is $600 or less. That doesn't mean you aren't responsible for the tax.

Yes, I'm sure they just meant that they don't deduct it from your check on the lower amounts.

The lottery isn't the IRS, and most of them won't even pretend to know what your tax burden will be. All they know is what they take out of your check. If they wrote down your social security number, they WILL report it to uncle sam, and you will get a form next year for tax purposes.

You might want to check that at tax time each state may have different tax laws. And I am sure the federal government will want its share of the $600 perhaps they meant they don't automatically take out their share at the time you win if it is $600 or less. That doesn't mean you aren't responsible for the tax.

Whats weird in Virginia is they would'nt cash smaller prize scratch-offs there even though they had a machine. Had to stop at a store.

Virginia is different than Kentucky, when traveling through that state I saw signs at most stores that said they only cashed scratch-off tickets brought at that store. They had trouble with people steeling tickets at one store and cashing them at the next one before it was recorded in the system.